absurdist

adjective

ab·​surd·​ist əb-ˈsər-dist How to pronounce absurdist (audio)
-ˈzər-
: of, relating to, or characterized by the absurd or by absurdism : absurd
absurdist literature
an absurdist sense of humor
absurdist noun

Examples of absurdist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If Nikolai Gogol and Raymond Chandler had collaborated, this might have been the result—absurdist Slavic magical realism grafted onto an entertaining whodunit. The Atlantic, 14 May 2026 The existential philosophy of Camus and Sartre, self-evident truths for these absurdist writers, is conveyed less through the content than through the style of their plays. Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 Blending a tense crime thriller structure with absurdist, deadpan humor, the film follows a right-wing zealot who travels to a sleep rural town to assassinate a progressive woman journalist – but runs into a series of darkly comic encounters along the way. Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 12 May 2026 It’s presented as dramatic dialogue, or maybe as absurdist tragicomedy. Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for absurdist

Word History

Etymology

absurd entry 1 + -ist entry 1 (probably after French absurdiste)

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of absurdist was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Absurdist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absurdist. Accessed 18 May. 2026.

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